Aug. 7th; This morning I got an early start to build that tent-cabin. I got the long slender trees that had already been trimmed and put up the frame. By afternoon, I had completed the job. Now it was still sunny and it did not look like we will get rain, so I took all the gear out of the tent. After taking the tent down, I cut it in half so that I had two pieces. Half is the front of the tent and the other the back. These I began to sew to the tarp, one peice at each end of the tarp according to the plans that I had drew up. Then I covered the sewing job with duck tape. That should keep the rain from leaking in. Once I had everything sewn together, I was ready to drape the tarp over the frame.
Aug. 7th; This morning the wind is from the south-west. I can go into Haileybury and get one of those large buck-saws at Herb's Pro hardware store. The one that I have is only the small kind you can put in a pack sack. It is not big enough to handle these big trees that the beaver had chopped down. I want to pick up an axe handle for the axe head that Dave had given me. Buy the time I was ready to shove- off the wind had died down altogether. By the time I got to Mill Creek, the wind started to blow from the north-east. Soon the wind was blowing so hard that I was not able to make any headway and had to turn back for the Island. I spent the rest of the day looking along the shoreline for straight pieces of driftwood that I could use for building material to make the various items that is needed. I spent the whole day gathering the driftwood and stacked them near the tent-cabin. I found a large piece of plywood that had drifted on shore. It looked in real good shape and it would make a fine table top, and the pieces that are left over, these would make good shelves. I had nothing to cut through the 4 ft withe of this piece of plywood. I will have to wait until I get the big buck-saw. In the meantime, I looked around the tent-cabin area where there was a good depth of soil. There I dug a three foot hole and made an outhouse on top of it from the pieces of driftwood that I had collected. I sandwiches some plastic sheeting between the roof to keep the rain off. It was late in the evening by the time the outhouse was completed. I returned to the tent-cabin to make some supper. I spent the rest of the evening reading and listening to the radio.
August 8th; This morning the wind was light, blowing from the south-east. I went into town and bought a big buck-saw from Herb's hardware store. Then I went over to Buster's and picked up some bread and a few other items that I needed. I stopped in the Post office to see if I had received any mail through General Delivery. Then I stopped over to Peter Pan Restaurant and spoke to John for a little while. Getting back to the island was a difficult task, trying to paddle against the now strong headwind. I had to stop and rest along the way by staying as close to the shoreline as possible to get a little protection against the wind. The lake is quite choppy. When I was right across from the Island, I had to make a wild dash through the open water to get to the Island. It was real hard work to paddle against this wind, but after a long while, I finally made it safely to the landing. I was cold and soaked to the bone from the spray. I changed clothes and made some hot coffee to warm myself up. That was enough excitement for the day. I spent the rest of the day relaxing because I was just too tired to do anything else.
Aug.9th This morning the wind had shifted to the north-east. I cannot get to New Liskeard today to buy some artist paints and canvas boards. I went around the Island and gathered up some more driftwood and brought these to the camp. Then I made a counter with its many storage space with the pieces of straight driftwood I had found. It looked pretty good when it was finished. I was able to cook standing upright instead of cooking from the floor. I was also able to place the pots and dishes, fork, spoons and knives it their proper places. I will also have to find a large metal container to use to melt ice and snow during the winter months. By now it is late in the evening so I have to stop work and make supper. After supper, after washing the pots and dishes, I swept the floor to tidy up the place. Then I spent the rest of the evening listening to the radio while the wind blew hard above the tops of the trees. The weather forecast calls for rain for the next few days. At least I will now find out if there are any leaks in the tent-cabin or the outhouse. Aug. 16th; This morning was an overcast sky with a slight breeze from the north- west. I paddled to Haileybury and then got on the bus for New Liskeard to get the artist supplies that I need. I went into Canvas & Clay to get the art supplies that I needed. Looking at the paint prices, I saw that they were expensive. By the time I broke things down to the very basic items that I needed, it still cost me over $200.00. and the paints were not even oil. I had never worked with acrylic paints before because they did not have the richness of colore as oil do. But the oil paints were even more expensive than these acrylic paints. Anyway, I went to a Salvation Army store that I had seen during my walk-about and bought a small case to carry my art supplies in. I will have to make my own easel back on the Island. I will have to sell a few paintings just to recover the cost for these art supplies. But at least it is a start to earn some money and make a living for myself. I can always earn enough to keep me going, especially living on this Island, will greatly reduce my living expense. I dropped in to see Betty and Dave before I returned to Haileybury but Dave was upstairs asleep. Betty said that Dave was not feeling well. I told Betty that I would see Dave the next time I come into New Liskeard. I returned to Haileybury by bus and then paddled over to the Island. When I had put everything away, I changed clothes and gathered up some strong long sticks to make an artist easel. This done, I cooked something to eat for supper. Now I will be able to do some paintings and ink drawings. We did not get the thunder storm that the weather forecaster had called for. Thank Goodness for that.
Aug.18th; I had done an ink drawing of the Haileybury Court House, a watercolour of Ferguson Ave with its unique street lamps, looking towards the catholic church. Today, I will try to go out to Devil's Rock and do a painting of that. By the time I was ready to go, It was 10 AM. I started out towards Bucke Park and rounded the headland. There it stood as majestic as ever. I had seen many photo's of it from the various tourist booklets that I had on hand, but to see it in real life, Wow!. I managed to make a few sketches before a strong wind started blowing from the south. I could not stay there any longer so I will have to finish with the painting back at home. I hoisted the sail and got back to the Island in quick time. Today has been a good all around day for me.
Aug19th; The weather forecast calls for rain today and looking out, it sure looks like it is going to rain. Somehow you can sense it in the air. I decided to stay in camp today. I won't mind the rain, because then I will know if there are any leaks that will have to be dealt with. After breakfast, it started to rain hard. I can hear the rain tapping on the covering. I do not even have to look outside to know when it is raining. Also, during a cloudless sky when the moon is shining, I can walk around the tent-cabin at night without needing a light. I can see everything by moonlight alone. I looked all around to see if any leak had developed, but there were none. So I just laid in the bunk and read a book just to relax. Later, I finished that painting of Devil's Rock and it looks great. I had bought some small picture frames from a roadside yard sale on my way to see Betty and Dave the other day. I have used these to put the ink drawing of the Haileybury Courthouse, the fire station, Town of Haileybury Marina and the watercolour of Ferguson Ave. Now I have something to bring to John.
Aug 20th; today is a sunny day and the wind is from the south. I gathered my things and art work and paddled/sailed over to Haileybury. I tied up the canoe in my usual spot and went over to John's, Peter Pan Restaurant. I showed John my work and I can see he liked them a lot. We put up these on the wall for people to view and maby buy. Monica liked the Courthouse ink drawing and the Devil's Rock painting. I did not stay for long because people were starting to come in, so I left to check the post office for any mail, get that big buck saw and axe handle from Herb's Pro Hardware store, some bread and a newspaper from Buster's to take back with me to the Island. When I returned to the Island, I changed into working clothes and gathered some wood to make the table and bench. After a couple of hours, I had a decent table and bench to sit down at to eat my meals. Then with the wood I had left over, I made a shelve stand to place things on, and a night table stand for the radio and candle holder and ashtray that is beside my bunk. Things are starting to look pretty good now.
Aug.21st; Today is a sunny day with a light wind coming from the south. I took with me my painting gear and headed for Haileybury to find something to paint of the local scene. I decided to see if I could get a folding chair for my easel. I went over to Herb's Pro Hardware store and found one that suited my needs and bought it. Then I walked down towards the Marina and set up my easel at a location where I had wanted to paint. As I was painting, I found it difficult to keep the paint from drying on me while I was applying it on the canvas board, in the hot sun and warm wind. I had to use some water to keep the paint moist. That helped a little but I packed it up before I had the painting completely done. I will have to get some fixative to help retard the fast drying in this hot weather. When I returned to the canoe, I met a girl walking her dogs while I was putting my painting gear into the canoe, and we talked about art. I found out while talking to her that she is an artist who had come to Haileybury from Toronto. Her two dogs that was with her were very friendly. It was a real pleasure talking with the young lady. I noticed that the wind had shifted to the north. This would give me an easy paddle with the sail back to the Island. I took advantage of this good fortune and headed back to camp. Today had been a real nice day despite the problem I had with the paints. I finished the painting in the cool of the tent-cabin. It turned out pretty good. Satisfied, I made some supper and listen to the CBC radio broadcast. Before I turned in for the night, I listen for the local weather report for tomorrow and it called for strong winds and rain late in the afternoon.
Aug. 22nd. Today is cloudy and the weather forecast still calls for strong winds and rain late in the afternoon. But right now there was a light breeze from the south. I went into town and then took a bus to New Liskeard. I went to see how Betty and Dave were. Dave is feeling a lot better now so I helped him with some of his chores. After having that done that we spent some time just talking about life in general. Then the topic of religion came up and we delved into something that was very close to my heart. Dave rejects that there is a GOD and we looked into this matter. I found out the reason Dave had rejected the idea of GOD existing, because of the various teachings of Christianity that made very little sense. I explained to Dave that Christianity had caused a great many people not to believe in GOD because of the lies and deception that these priests and preachers of Christianity who have managed to dupe people into believing in their perverted religion. I told Dave to take a look at my web site "People of the Holy Testament" that I have on the internet whenever he gets the chance, and he will get the real truth about that perverted religion called Christianity that had caused him and so many people to turn their back on GOD altogether. I feel sad that so many good, decent people have been lied to, had been hoodwinked, duped and were fleeced of their hard eared money by those charlatan priests and preachers of that fictitious, phony religion. I have found out through studying the major religions of the world that they all have some kernel of truth within them, but these kernel of truth are also wrapped up or encased in a whole lot of myth making, lies and deception. This is the sad truth one finds in the vast majority of religions around the world. How sad indeed. I returned to Haileybury and stopped in on John but he was not in the restaurant, so I decided to head back to camp. The wind had started to pick up so I had a hard paddle back to camp. Paddling against that headwind really took the strength right out of me. I was glad that I had made it back safely. I made supper with the corn that Betty had given me. It was just delicious. It was nice to see Irene, Betty's sister, I find her to be a very nice person. After supper, I still felt so tired from that paddling that I rested for the rest of the evening. It started to rain and continued all through the night.
Aug 23; This morning the rain stopped. It feels quite damp in the tent-cabin. I light the camp stove to get the dampness out of the air. Even the pages of my journal feels damp. I took the painting of the Haileybury Marina and finished the work on it. This and Devil's Rock will make two paintings that I will be able to sell and make a little money. Around 5 PM, I heard on CBC of a trappers convention that was being held in Timmims today and tomorrow, just north of here. This is a time when trappers from all over Ontario will gather. I had wanted to meet some trappers, but after I had not found any here, I had given up on the idea of hooking up with a trapper now that I am settled here on the island and living here in Haileybury. Now that this trappers convention is being held in Timmins, which is not that far away from here, I finally have a chance to meet a trapper there. Should I go to Timmins or not, was what was going through my mind. I told myself that if I did not go, I will always wounder about not having gone and may regret this for the rest of my life. This trappers convention will only last until tomorrow. I went outside and saw that the wind was blowing from the south. That would give me an easy ride to Haileybury with the sail. I decided to go and get this over with. At least I will find out what there is to know about this whole trapping thing. I went back into the tent-cabin and changed my clothes and set off to Haileybury. When I got to the bus stop that was at that time, at Tri-town Taxi, and asked the ticket agent when would the bus be here that is going to Timmins? He told me the bus was expected to arrive here, going towards Timmins, in fifteen minuets. I took this as a conformation for me to go, so I bought a ticket for Timmins. We arrived in Timmins by 10 PM. I asked the ticket agent in Timmins where might I find this trappers convention? But he did not know. So I walked down Timmins main street and noticed that there were signs all over the place saying... Welcome Trappers to Timmins. Not one sign gave the location where this trappers convention was being held. So I came to the Hotel Senator went in to ask the desk clerk where the trapper's convention was being held, but she did not know. I walked from one end of Timmins to the other, asking every gas station, restaurant or business that was still open at that hour with no results. Finally I saw a cab stand and thought that if anybody in this city would know, they would. I asked a cabby but he nor the other cab drivers knew where the convention was located. The cab driver called the dispatch and the person told the cabby that it was located out by the golf course way out in the boondocks. I asked if we could phone the person who was in charge of it so that I could confirm the information, but no one knew the phone number. I did not like the idea to be taken that far out of town and be stuck somewhere out in the sticks. The cabby said that he would wait for me and take me back in town after I had spoken to the manager of the trappers convention. Given that assurance, I told the cab driver to take me to the address the dispatcher had given us. We drove out to the very edge of the outskirts of Timmins and had trouble finding the address. When we were on the street we were directed by the dispatcher, there was nothing of that address. I got out and asked a person who had a house there if he could tell me where that trappers convention was that we were told should be around here? The man told me that there was no trappers convention being held anywhere near here. He did not know where the trappers convention was being held. So the cab driver and I drove back to the cab stand where we had started from. The cab driver wanted $15.00 for the fare. I thought that he was crazy. I had wasted over an hour with these cab drivers and going on a wild goose chase was not part of my plans. Yet the cab driver expected me to pay $15.00 for ending up where I had started from? I paid the man the $15.00 rather than cause a big ruckus. I thanked the man for wasting my time and for the rip-off, and began walking the street looking for that trappers convention. I ended up walking way out somewhere near the outskirts of town, another end of town from that cab ride and went into a 24 hour coffee shop. I bought a coffee and donuts so that I could rest from all that walking. No one there knew where that trappers convention was. I continued up that street, that was also the highway after I had rested for awhile. By now it is 2:30 AM and I still did not know where that convention was being held. Finally I came upon the Travellers Inn and the night desk clerk gave me a pamphlet that gave the location of that trappers convention. The man told me that he had some trappers as guests staying here who had come for that convention. By now it was 3:30 AM and I spoke to the man for a little while and then thanked the man for his help which finally gave me exactly where the trappers convention was being held. He drew me the direction as to how I can get there. I walked back into Timmins CENTER until I found the building where the convention was being held. Outside this building was a big sign stating the trappers convention being held here. By now it was 4:30 AM so I back tracked my steps to a Tim Hortens coffee shop that I had passed by. I ordered coffee and donuts while I stayed there until 8 AM. By now I was so tired that I could hardly keep my eyes open. I left Tim Hortens and walked over to the trappers convention center. The main doors was going to open at 10 AM so I found a spot to sit down and I promptly fell asleep. Someone was shaking me, asking if I was alright. I woke up and explained to the man what led me to be here. He told me that I had come to the right place and we went inside the trappers convention center. Inside, they had booths that showed and sold all the newest gear pertaining to trapping. There was also a lecture about the prices of pelts and how they are graded. They showed what pelts were of good quality and those that are poorly done. I managed to speak to a few trappers and found out that they get time off or leave from their regular jobs to go to their trapline for a month or two and then return to town and continue to live their lives like everyone else in town. These are not the trappers who live in the bush all year round. It seemed to me that trappers today are more like part-time trappers who work at regular jobs throughout the year except for those few months when they work their trapline. Trappers who live in the bush all year round are few and far in- between in this day and age. Given this fact, I left the trappers convention center and went to the bus station to get back to Haileybury. I knew now that Haileybury was my home. It had cost me $140.00 for this little expedition which I could hardly afford to waste. I had a few hours to wait for the bus so I went to a restaurant and had something to eat, wings and chips with coffee. I returned to the bus depot and slept a little on a chair in the waiting room. I returned to Haileybury around 11:35 PM. I walked down to the canoe and paddled back to camp. I was so glad to be back. I knew now that I could stop looking for a trapper. It did not take me very long for me to fall asleep.
Journal to be continued....
